Liquid electrophotographic (LEP) printing uses a special kind of ink to form images on paper and other print substrates. LEP ink usually includes charged polymer particles dispersed in a carrier liquid. The polymer particles are sometimes referred to as toner particles and, accordingly, LEP ink is sometimes called liquid toner. LEP ink may also include a charge control agent to help control the magnitude and polarity of charge on the particles. An LEP printing process involves placing an electrostatic pattern of the desired printed image on a photoconductor and developing the image by presenting a thin layer of LEP ink to the charged photoconductor. The ink may be presented to the photoconductor with a roller that is commonly referred to as a “developer roller.” Charged toner particles in the ink adhere to the pattern of the desired image on the photoconductor. The ink image is transferred from the photoconductor to a print substrate, for example through a heated intermediate transfer member that evaporates much of the carrier liquid to dry the ink film, and then to the print substrate as it passes through a nip between the intermediate transfer member and a pressure roller
The same part numbers designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures. The figures are not necessarily to scale.